Snowboards and snow skis travel over terrain covered with snow and/or ice. Depending upon factors such as geographic location, altitude, steepness and aspect of slope, current and recent weather/storm systems, local climate, time of year, time of day, and a myriad of other such factors, the surface of such terrain can vary from “bullet proof” ice to hard-pack snow to deep “fluffy” powder and everything in between. Additionally, in areas where slopes are accessible from chairlifts and other vertical-assist technologies, slopes are often “groomed” with machines. “Grooming” creates a manicured surface that is of greater uniformity than “off-piste” terrain.
These variances of terrain and surfaces results in multiple, and sometimes conflicting, design considerations for the manufacturers of snowboards and skis. In response, specialized snowboards and skis have emerged in which the designs are tuned for a particular terrain, surface condition, and rider ability and/or style. At times, these design decisions limit the usability of the specialized snowboard or skis for other terrain, surface conditions, or riders.
For instance, snowboards designed for use in deep powder are often wider, longer, and less stiff than all-mountain snowboards. Additionally, powder snowboards are typically equipped with a rocker-style longitudinal camber profile and have significant tip and tail regions. A powder snowboard is designed to “float” near the top of the “fluffy” powder surface. Thus, the ability to “edge” a snowboard in powder is less critical than the ability to “edge” a snowboard on icy, hard-pack, or groomed slopes.
In contrast, when riding a snowboard on icy, hard-packed, or groomed slopes, a rider must engage the edges of the snowboard with the surface of the terrain. By carving these edges into the icy or hard-pack surface, the rider has a greater ability to control, turn, and maneuver the snowboard. Accordingly, all-mountain style snowboards are typically less wide, shorter, and less flexible than powder snowboards. These designs enhance the rider's ability to “edge” their board. As another example, still other specialized styles of snowboards are appropriate for terrain parks and pipes. Such boards may be narrower and shorter than all-mountain boards.
It is costly and sometimes inconvenient to have access to multiple types of specialized snowboards or skis for different terrains. Furthermore, because conditions may vary throughout a single day and/or a single ski area, it may be extremely impractical, or even impossible, to employ a different specialized snowboard or pair of skis for each of the different terrain types in a given day of snowboarding or skiing. This problem is compounded in backcountry areas where the rider may have access to only a single snowboard or pair of skis throughout an entire backcountry tour. Even with inbounds riding or skiing, a user may often be in powder during a portion of a run and groomed slopes nearer the lift.
Additionally, depending upon a rider's ability and the terrain, a rider may be “edge-limited.” In steep and icy conditions, it may be difficult to maintain enough “edge” to keep the rider from slipping and tumbling down the slope. It is for these and other concerns that the following disclosure is offered.